The Winds That Blow The Sakura
by GlazedAndConfused
Summary: I fulfilled my promise, Kanako chan... I said I’d be home to see the winds that blow the sakura. Now, here I am. [AU. Chapter 1 up]
1. Prologue: Then And Now

-1**::: The Winds That Blow The Sakura :::**

by

- GlazedAndConfused -

* * *

**DISCLAIMER**

I don't own Love Hina. Thanks to GreyWolf4 for allowing me to put his idea inTo words.

* * *

**_Prologue _:::** _Then And Now

* * *

__  
"But, oniichan..." a young girl with black hair pleaded to an older boy, her eyes swelling up with tears, "do you have to join the army?"_

_"I'm afraid I have no choice, Kanako-chan..." the older boy spoke dejectedly. "There's such hostility in this nation between the Kynamarians and the Molmolese that it's only a matter of time before the whole thing boils over into war, and they want to prepare themselves with enough manpower." He sighed. "I don't want to join the Molmolese Army just as much as you don't want me to... but they're even taking 10 year old children from their homes and training them to be soldiers in case war against Kynamar does go ahead!"_

_The girl named Kanako's tears finally fell, her shoulders slumping as her brother took her in his gentle arms, sobs wracking her body like waves lapping against the sand. "J-Just promise me one thing, oniichan..."_

_"What's that, Kanako-chan?"_

_"Promise m-me... that you'll be home for me." She looked up at him with wet, bloodshot eyes. "Please... promise me. Then we can see the sakura together... I want that at least once. Please, Keitaro?"_

_The boy named Keitaro looked up once and smiled wistfully, the thought of the "I promise, Kanako-chan… I'll be back to see the winds that blow the sakura."_

* * *

"Excuse me, sir, would you like any refreshments?" 

Keitaro tore his gaze away from the window of the plane going back to Tokyo to pay attention to the stewardess who appeared by his side. Glancing at her with a small smile on his face, he made himself appear somewhat more presentable than he was, sitting up straight.

"Can I have a cup of water, please?"

"Ice or no ice?"

"Ice, thank you."

"Just a moment, sir."

As the air stewardess left to get his refreshment ready, Keitaro looked out the window once again. Had it really been three years since the end of the Kynamar-Molmolese war, he couldn't help but wonder. The five years since the war had started - in which the state of Kynamar, a merger between Kynamar and Molmol - seemed to fly past, but the three years of peacekeeping that had followed had been amongst the slowest in his life. He could not believe just what forms nationalism could take following years of Kynamarian oppression on the Molmolese.

Keitaro thought back to one of the most unlikely catalysts of the war; a football match between a Molmolese and Kynamarian team. What was supposed to be a routine match of the season quickly turned nasty; that he particularly remembered, especially since he was one of the hundreds of servicemen from the Molmolese military on the receiving end of a few flares, seats and planks of wood thrown from the stands during the intense rioting that ensued between the two groups of fans; as a result of this impromptu bombardment, he had suffered numerous burns and cuts.

He knew, however, that the events of that day were nothing compared to what would come up over the next five years, as the already hostile environment quickly spilled into war following the assassination of the Kynamarian dictator.

* * *

_Nine years earlier..._

_The national stadium of Molmol was the venue for one of the biggest, most hostile matches of the football calendar, between FC Toudai and ASC (Army Sports Club) Lakuna. This match meant so much more to Molmolese and Kynamarians alike than just a simple game of football. To win would mean national pride; to lose would be the ultimate shame._

_A 10-year-old Keitaro stood on the perimeter track that ran around the pitch, keeping a very close eye on the Kynamarian section of fans. Up to two hours before the game, there had been a series of running battles outside the stadium as patriotic feelings had boiled over immensely. Looking around, he noticed that there were several police vans dotted around the stadium and other military servicemen just like himself to try and stop the immense feelings of nationalism from erupting even further._

_In the pen in front of him were up to three-thousand Kynamarian fans in full voice, waving flags and scarves as well as singing a number of chants ranging from simple club chants to anti-Molmolian songs. Keitaro listened intently as the hundreds of fans all shouted, their voices unified as one._

"_**Toudai is Kynamarian! Toudai is Kynamarian!"**_

_The soldier stood next to Keitaro leaned over to him. "I have a feeling things are going to go downhill from here..."_

_Keitaro frowned. "I really hope not..."_

"_**Death to the Molmolese! Death to the Molmolese!"**_

"_Listen to them, they have every intention of starting a fight."_

_The sound of metal sheets slamming against bricks interrupted their conversation. Turning around, Keitaro could see four or five Kynamarians run to the top of their designated pen, surrounded by many more cheering in appreciation, and attempt to tear away at the seating. After a few managed to tear the seats from their concrete fixings, they proceeded to lob them over the perimeter fencing that separated them from their Molmolian counterparts. A few more at the top of the pen attempted to tear down the metal sheeting that hung from the wall, blocking off a hidden stairwell that led to the upper tier of the stand. Pulling this sheeting down, the swarm of fans made their way up the stairs to their intended targets; the Molmolese fans on the upper tier._

_Twenty minutes later..._

_What started off as an exchange of seats through the air between Molmolese and Kynamarian fans on the upper tier turned into a fully blown riot, with running battles taking place in the stands, the soldiers unlocking a gate at one end of the ground in order to try and enter the seating areas to disperse the combating fans by way of baton charges, warning shots and tear gas canisters. Keitaro was one of the many soldiers who were firing warning shots with rifles in the middle of the stand, while the older soldiers were rushing in with their batons and sticks drawn._

_However, they were quickly overwhelmed by the sheer number of Kynamarian fans who started to retaliate with whatever came to hand; the young Urashima just happened to be at the very front near a large number of fans who started to advance towards him. Without backup, his warning shots were in vain as a bombardment of broken seats and flares showered down upon him like a torrential downpour._

_Backing off, he tripped over one of the many broken seats that littered the stand and fell just as a flare caught him on his collarbone. Wincing at the burning sensation, Keitaro consigned himself to his fate as the swarm of fans advanced towards him. At least, that was until a number of tear gas canisters were fired into the group of Kynamarians, dispersing them and saving the young Urashima from a severe beating._

_Any thoughts of the situation calming down were shattered as he heard a tremendous crash coming from the opposite end of the ground. Turning to look where the sound came from, Keitaro could see part of the perimeter fencing had collapsed and the main section of Molmolese fans were storming onto the pitch in order to get to the Kynamarian end of the ground, armed with flares of their own, launching them at their counterparts._

_After another hour of running battles and charges from the soldiers, the fighting had ended with hundreds injured, fans, police and soldiers alike. Lying in the hospital bed, Keitaro was visibly relaxed, glad that the day was over._

_He had no idea, however, that this was only the beginning; there was much worse to come over the next few years..._

* * *

"...ir? Sir?" 

Keitaro, snapping back to the present moment, woke up to find the stewardess who he saw earlier standing over him, a concerned look on her face. "Oh, sorry..." Keitaro apologised, "I must have been daydreaming."

The stewardess smiled slightly, handing him the glass of cold water. "Don't worry about it, sir. Here is your water."

"Thank you." Keitaro smiled back, taking a sip of his water. "How much longer until we land?"

"Only an hour left, sir."

_Only an hour..._ The Urashima man mused, leaning back into his seat. _Hmm. I may as well try and get some rest; there's nothing else to do. _With that, he closed his eyes in an effort to let sleep take over his mind and body.

* * *

Keitaro stirred slightly, opening his eyes to find the same stewardess as before standing above him, a gentle smile on his face that made the young man's cheeks slowly redden. Giving her a smile in return, he spoke. "Hello again, is something wrong?" 

"We've landed. Please make your way off the plane and don't forget your belongings."

"Okay, thank you."

Five minutes later...

Having passed through passport control and customs, Keitaro made his way through the terminal to the front of the airport. The young Urashima man had a wistful look on his face as he recalled his very early childhood in Japan before he moved to Molmol with Kanako to live with their uncle in Toudai. He recalled the times where he used to visit Haruka and his grandmother, Hina. Yes, it felt good to be back in Japan, although he also felt a certain sense of anxiety and apprehension. What if things had changed since then?

"Oniichan!"

Any sense of anxiety soon disappeared as he heard the voice of his beloved sister, Kanako, call out for him. Turning around, he spotted the young woman rushing towards him, her arms outstretched. Even he didn't anticipate the younger companion's momentum as he was nearly bowled over by her. Regaining his balance, he reciprocated her embrace with an equal amount of enthusiasm.

"I've missed you so much, oniichan!" Kanako cried, burying her head into the young man's collarbone.

"I've missed you too, Kana-chan," Keitaro replied, "but I'm home now."

"It's good to see you back, Keitaro." The Urashima man looked up to find a slightly older woman standing before the two, a cigarette hanging from her smiling lips. "How long has it been, 15 years?"

"It's good to be back, Haruka-obasan."

The woman named Haruka inwardly flinched, hiding her displeasure at the suffix that, if anything, made her feel older. "I'll allow you that one…" she smirked, some of the cigarette ash dropping to the floor. "So how are you, Keitaro?"

"I'm good, thanks. Just can't believe I'm back home." He looked around, a slightly confused look on his face. "Um... where's grandma?"

"Tell you what. . ." Haruka spoke as Kanako released her hold on Keitaro and backed away slightly to give him some more room. "Why don't you come back to the tea house with us, and I'll explain there?"

"Um, okay..." Keitaro scratched the back of his head and shrugged, picking up his luggage as he followed Haruka and Kanako to the outside of the terminal. Upon exiting the terminal, the trio were greeted by a pleasant autumnal breeze, basking in the early autumn sun. Haruka hailed a taxi while Kanako held one of Keitaro's hands in both of her's, taking Keitaro's luggage and putting it into the boot, then climbing into the passenger seat.

"Where to, ma'am?" the taxi driver spoke, turning to Haruka.

"Hinata Tea House," the eldest Urashima replied, "what's the cost?"

The taxi driver looked surprised; he was more used to clients waiting till they got to their location before asking for the price. "750 Yen."

Haruka handed him the money. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Well, we're off!"

With that, he started the engine and started to drive to the intended location. Keitaro relaxed visibly in the back seat, with Kanako still holding his hand, a content look on his face.

_Yep..._ he thought wistfully, _it's definitely good to be home. _He then turned to look at Kanako, who was asleep, her head resting on his shoulder._ I fulfilled my promise, Kanako-chan... I said I'd be home to see the winds that blow the sakura. Now, here I am._

* * *

**::: _END PROLOGUE _:::**

* * *

Once again, thanks to GreyWolf4 for allowing me to put his idea into words. Credit goes to him for this story, not me. 

Obviously, Kynamar is a fictional country. The conflict described in this story will be based on the Yugoslav wars that occurred in the 1990s.

Why the football match scene, some of you might be asking. Well, as hard as it is to believe, a football match was actually one of the events that spelt the end for the former Yugoslavia; a match that was supposed to take place between Dinamo Zagreb of Croatia and Red Star Belgrade of Serbia in 1990 resulted in one of the biggest riots in football, where Croatian and Serbian nationalists fought for hours in Zagreb. What gave this match significance was that it took place weeks after Croatia's first multi-party elections for over 50 years; elections which the parties favouring independence had won.

...anyway, that's enough of the history lesson for one day. This fic will also explore the topic of child soldiers and why they are drafted into war.

Sorry for the short chapter, but then again, it is only an epilogue.


	2. Chapter 1: Introductions

**::: The Winds That Blow The Sakura :::**

by

- GlazedAndConfused -

* * *

**_Chapter One _:** _Introductions_

* * *

_Eight years and four months earlier..._

_On the steps of the famous city hall lay the prone, bloodied form of a frail-looking old man. But appearances were deceptive... this man was far from frail; to be exact, he was a powerful dictator, assassinated in the bright light of day. His name was Zanba Lu, a notorious Kynamarian politician well-known - and disliked by the Molmolese - for his hardline political stance, and the reforms he introduced to the kingdom following the end of the Second World War that seemed to favour the Kynamarian populace and oppress the Molmolese. Four gunshots rang through the humid afternoon air followed by the screams of the hundreds of people that came to listen to his announcement of yet more political reforms, which were succeeded by two more gunshots from a couple of the dozens of military police who were present._

_Keitaro was one of the millions of citizens who tuned in that day to witness the news on their TV screens of this historical turning point in the political climate of Kynamol. It was obvious that many Molmolese were not supporters of the old man, but with the punishments that were dealt to a Molmolese uprising of any sort, none of them had dared to actually attempt an assassination; that was, until today. The culprit was 20-year-old Ranba Su, a Molmolese nationalist that led the recently-formed Molmolese Liberation Front, who suffered the same fate as the man he was raised to despise; after being wrestled to the ground by the military police, his young life was swiftly ended by two well-placed shots to the chest._

_The events of that day would cause the already unstable political atmosphere in Kynamol to boil over catastrophically, in bloody conflict._

* * *

"This place sure has changed..." Keitaro mused as he laid his head on the headrest in the back of the cab, with Kanako's arm still looped around his and her head still resting on his shoulder, the younger Urashima having woken from her slumber. 

"That it has, _oniichan_," the younger Urashima replied, gazing lovingly at her older brother. She then turned to the front to face Haruka, or rather, the back of her head. "Haruka-_san_, tell Keitaro about Hina-_obaasan_."

"Oh, yeah..." Haruka said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, "well, I was going to wait until we got to the tea house before I told you about this... but you may as well hear it now." She was about to light up a cigarette, before noticing the sign on the dashboard that read 'No Smoking'. _Fucking cabs and their no-smoking policies_. "Y'see, granny Hina has gone travelling around the world. To sample the delights of the hot springs she could find, really."

"Right... so that's why she wasn't there to see me?" Keitaro spoke bemusedly; he thought that the old bat would at least have had the decency to wait until he came home before she swanned off to places unknown. Then again, she wasn't to know when he'd be coming home; it could have been years from now, so he couldn't really blame her.

Haruka nodded her head. "Yep."

"I see..."

"Anyway, we're here now." All three occupants undid their seatbelts and made their way out of the cab, with Haruka saying words of thanks to the cab driver as the two siblings ventured towards the tea shop. Keitaro took this time to quietly observe his surroundings, with Kanako still attached to his arm. Had it really been so long since he last saw the old tea shop? It looked more modernised than traditional, but that was to be expected he supposed.

* * *

After a few cups of tea - or, in Keitaro's case, black coffee - Haruka decided that it was time to take the two siblings up to the imposing structure that was Hinata Sou. Keitaro had almost forgotten exactly how large the megalithic stone steps were, but it hindered his ascent none due to his fitness from his years of military training. Once they had reached the top, Keitaro briefly paused to observe the building that stood before him, looking as if it were ready to envelop him at any moment. _Hinata Sou hasn't changed one bit... _he whimsically thought. _Damn, this place brings back memories_. Noticing that Haruka and Kanako were already a few steps ahead of him, he decided not to fall behind and be caught alone and caught up with the two. 

"Hina-_obaasan_ has certainly kept this place looking good as new, hasn't she?" Keitaro commented as he slipped his shoes off and placed them on the mat by the door, marvelling at how everything looked, almost as if he were stuck in a time warp going back over ten years. "It hasn't changed a bit!"

"Granny Hina always did like things to remain the way they were." Kanako replied.

"Girls?" Haruka called. "Girls, could you come down here for a minute?" Hearing no sign of a reply, Haruka chose to venture up the stairs, informing Kanako and Keitaro to stay where they were for the time being as she rounded up the girls. A few minutes later, she came down with them in tow. One had long, auburn-coloured hair, another had short, sandy-blonde hair and a face that resembled that of a fox, which Keitaro found somewhat amusing. The third girl was tall and imposing, with long, raven-coloured hair and a katana by her side, which did not go unnoticed by the young man. _Hm, a kendoka. Interesting._ The fourth and fifth girls were both in their early teens, both petite and with violet and blonde hair respectively.

"Haruka, what did you call us down fo..." the auburn-haired girl trailed off as she noticed Keitaro and Kanako standing in the doorway. Or, to be more precise, only noticed Keitaro. "What is this man doing here?" she spoke, her voice containing barely restrained anger.

"I must voice Naru-_sempai_'s sentiments," the kendoka mirrored, glaring at the young man, "what is a man doing in an all-girl's dormitory?"

"Naru, Motoko, Mitsune, Shinobu, Su; this is my nephew, Keitaro, and my niece, Kanako." Haruka replied.

"Pleased to meet you all." Keitaro said, a smile on his face despite the scrutinising looks he was receiving from the two girls. _Though I suppose they can't say the same about me..._

"Why are you here?" the girl named Naru asked. "No men are allowed here!"

"Hina-_obaasan_ requested our presence, if you must know." Kanako spat, her protective instincts regarding her brother kicking in.

"Why don't we all just sit down, and I'll explain everything." Haruka spoke, hoping to calm the situation down. Sensing the authority in her voice, the girls did as she asked - commanded, rather - as did Keitaro and Kanako.

* * *

"...and that's about it, Granny Hina wants them both to stay here, though she never said why." Haruka finished, summing everything up in a nutshell, with Keitaro and Kanako both nodding their heads. 

"Absolutely NOT!" Naru barked, standing up and slamming her hands on the table with enough force to make the oak piece of furniture creak. "The girl we can allow --"

"Ahem, _Kanako_." Kanako interrupted.

"-- sorry, Kanako we can allow to stay here, but not this... man!" She turns to the rest of the girls. "What if he tries to peep on us?"

"You can rest assured that I would do nothing of the sort." Keitaro replied.

"How can we be so sure?"

"_Oniichan_ is not a pervert," Kanako hotly replied, "he is a man of honour!"

"'Men' and 'honour' do not go together in the same sentence as far as I am concerned," the girl named Motoko retorted. "Men are loathsome, vile, depraved beings. I apologise, Haruka-sempai, but I simply cannot allow your nephew's presence here any longer."

Kanako had heard enough. She rose quickly enough to startle all the girls into silence, her face a visage of rage incarnate. "Now listen here, kendo girl, you dare call my oniichan a vile, depraved being? I'm sure he's very glad to have come home after spending five years fighting in a war to hear that!"

"A war?" Mitsune asked, tilting her head to the side. "What war?"

"The Kynamar-Molmolese war! He fought to help liberate Molmol!"

_Kynamar-Molmolese war..._ The gears in her head started to turn. While not a widely-reported topic in Japan, the five-year war had gathered enough press coverage due to the bloody conflicts and, in particular, the notorious use of children as soldiers on both sides. _This guy helped to free Molmol? But that started in 1990... so he must have been only, what, 10 or 11? God, how horrible..._

"Hey, girls, maybe we should give him a chance? I mean, he is a veteran of war..." Kitsune spoke.

"I do not care if he fought in a war or not, he is still a male, and this is no place for a male!" Motoko rose, her annoyance at the mere sight of Keitaro rising gradually. "Haruka-_san_, either you let your nephew go of his own accord or I shall get rid of him myself." She spoke, hinting at such a move with the flicker of her blade.

Hinata Sou's de-facto matriarch's normally unflappable patience was finally pushed beyond it's breaking point, as she stomped a foot on the ground hard enough to get everybody's attention. Her face was twisted in a vicious grimace, her eyes glaring hard enough to shatter even the hardest diamond. Most of all, it was enough to give Naru and Motoko the shakes. She directed her venomous gaze towards the kendoka, who froze on the spot and shuddered, having her scrutiny of the young man among them turned on her. "How DARE you speak that way of my nephew. He fought for five years in a war and this is how he is treated? My nephew has witnessed enough in those five years to last him a lifetime, and he is haunted even to this day by what he has seen; I wouldn't wish that upon anybody, not even my sworn enemy." She paused in her monologue. "Neither of you two own this place; Granny Hina does, and what she says goes. If she says that my nephew is to stay here, he stays. Do you understand?"

"But --"

"Is that understood?" Haruka's tone left no space for objection.

Motoko bowed her head and averted her gaze. "...yes."

"Naru?"

The auburn-haired girl nodded meekly. "Yes."

"Good. You are all dismissed." Haruka muttered venomously, then turned to Keitaro and Kanako, her face softening somewhat. "Come on, let me show you two to your rooms."

Meanwhile, as everybody went their separate ways, the tanned girl named Su witnessed the exchange in pensive thought, thanks to the information given about the young man in their midst. _This man fought in my homeland's war? He helped free my country from the Kynamarians? That must mean he's a hero... and if he's staying, then I'll have to ask him a few questions! But first..._ she sprang off the sofa and bounced merrily upstairs _...bananas!_

* * *

Keitaro, Haruka and Kanako are making their way up the stairs to the Landlord's Room, which used to belong to Hina, since the three of them agreed that it would be the best place for the two siblings to stay. "I'm sorry about Naru and Motoko," Haruka apologised, "they're both just a little... shall we say... distrusting as far as men go. You'll have to excuse their behaviour." 

"Just as long as they don't take their distrust out on _oniichan_, I don't care if they trust men or not," Kanako simply stated, scowling as she remembered the tone of voice the two girls named Naru and Motoko took to him.

Haruka smirked. "Don't worry, they'll have me to answer to if they take that tone with him again, though I'm sure Keitaro can hold his own if push comes to shove."

"You mean, physically?" Keitaro asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep."

"But I don't believe in hurting girls, even if I am attacked first."

"Then allow me to exact revenge upon them if they make the wrong decision, _oniichan_." Kanako smiled evilly, a glint in her eye that sent a shiver down Keitaro's spine.

"N-No, that will not be neccessary, Kanako-_chan_."

"Well, here we are," Haruka said, opening the door to the Landlord's Room.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Keitaro and Kanako are both standing by the balcony overlooking the hot spring town, a picturesque view before their eyes. Kanako gently rested her head on Keitaro's shoulder and placed a hand on top of his, looking at the view. "Did you ever miss this place while you spent all those years away from us?" 

Keitaro smiled. "More than you think. Not a day went past where I wished that I was back home, rather than fighting in that war. But it had to be done, and thank the heavens that I'm one of those that have come back home alive."

Kanako looked up at him, keeping her head on his shoulder. "You don't know how grateful I am that you are among the living. I don't know what I would have done if you had been one of the many that had died..." she trailed off as she felt Keitaro turn around and gently wrap his arms around her petite frame, an action which she quickly reciprocated.

"Shh," Keitaro whispered, "let's not talk about that now. Let's just leave the past behind us."

"Of course... _oniichan_."

The two stayed like that for a long time; exactly how long, they didn't know, nor did they care. It was only until they heard the sound of something being removed from the ceiling that they turned their attention to the source of the sound. Kanako's face twisted into a grimace as she saw the head of Narusegawa Naru pop down from the ceiling. "Hey, you two, dinner's rea... what are you doing molesting your sister, you sicko?!" The auburn-haired girl flipped down with enough grace to put an gymnast to shame, and ran towards Keitaro, her fist clenched and teeth bared, with all intention of causing the so-called pervert some pain. Serious pain.

This sight became too much to Keitaro, as all the memories placed firmly in the past came rushing back to him like a high-speed train. The gunfire. The explosions. The screams of dying men, women and children alike. The sight of fellow soldiers falling to the ground as bullets tore through their bodies. The sight of buildings in flames. Suddenly, the young man dropped to his knees and covered his head with his hands, and started to scream at the top of his voice. This action was enough to stop the young woman in her tracks, and make her stare wide-eyed at the scene before her. Kanako was the first to react, rushing to Keitaro's side and placing both hands on his shoulders, gently rubbing them in an effort to calm him down.

"_Oniichan_, it's okay..."

Suddenly, the door to the room burst open.

"Naru-sempai, are you alright?"

"What's going on here?"

"Auuu, is something wrong?"

"Can I play too?"

Naru turned to find Motoko - with her sword unsheathed - Kitsune, Shinobu, Su and Haruka standing in the doorway, each of them staring at the situation with wide eyes. Only Haruka realised what was happening. I see what's going on... she thought, making her way towards the young man and placing a gentle hand on his back. "Keitaro, don't worry... nothing's happening, it's your memories."

After about fifteen minutes, Keitaro was calmed down thanks to a few techniques Kanako had been taught, and sound asleep, exhausted from his traumatic ordeal. All the residents, sans Kanako - who was inside knelt beside Keitaro - were outside the Landlord's Room, gathered in a circle.

"W-What happened?" Naru asked tentatively.

"Keitaro was having a flashback. Something must have triggered the memories that he was trying to suppress of the war he fought in," Haruka spoke, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"So these memories caused it?" Motoko asked.

"Pretty much so."

"How?"

Haruka took another drag. "You see, Keitaro suffers from what is known as post-traumatic stress disorder. He is a very sensitive person, and all of the things he saw during the war are beginning to take their toll on his frame of mind."

The door opened, and everyone turned to find Kanako walking out to stand among them. "_Oniichan_ wrote to us every chance he could get during his tenure as a soldier. It was so sad to hear about all of the things that he saw, and how badly he wished he was back home. Every time he said he would give anything just to be back home with me, Haruka and Hina-_obaasan_."

Kitsune's eyes were opened slightly, listening intently. _That's so sad... but what triggered these memories to resurface in the first place?_ Her train of thought was interrupted by the sound of a very hard, brain-rattling slap to Naru's face, courtesy of Kanako. The force of the slap was enough to send the slightly older girl to her knees.

"What was that for?"

"You..." Kanako growled, a vein on her forehead visibly throbbing, "you caused _oniichan_'s past to come back to him! If you didn't go to hit him, maybe he'd still be fine now!"

Haruka turned to face Naru, whose eyes were glistening with tears from the pain of the slap. "Everyone, go back to your rooms, I'm having a talk with Naru..." Once everybody did what they had been told, she grabbed Naru by the hair and raised her up roughly, eliciting a squeal from the young woman. "Now didn't I tell you that I wouldn't put up with any shit you would give my nephew? I'm thinking of evicting your sorry little arse here and now... and I would if it was down to me. But seeing as it's not, you can think yourself lucky that you're staying." She then let go of Naru's hair, the young woman wiping away any tears that she had cried. "Do I make myself clear?"

Naru simply nodded, the words escaping her.

"Good. Now go back to your room, and if I hear that you have treated my nephew like shit once more, I will evict you, regardless of whether it's my position or not to do so."

The auburn-haired girl simply did as she was told, not daring to look back at the de-facto matriarch. As she did so, Haruka turned back to look inside the bedroom, seeing Keitaro laid on a futon sound asleep.

_Poor guy... he's gone through more in his young years than any of us put together have in a lifetime._

With that, she closed the door to the room and made her way down the hallway.

* * *

_**END CHAPTER ONE

* * *

**_

**::: AUTHOR'S NOTES :::**

...well, I must say that **Rasputin the evil monk** was right; it'd be nearly six months until I next updated this fic. :P

Sorry if the chapter seems short and rushed, but I've been running around like a blue-arsed fly trying to get assignments done by Friday for college, and I just had to get this chapter written while I still had ideas in my head.

For those who are asking about updates to Sakura Kisses, I'm afraid my news is dissappointing as far as that's concerned... as it stands, I'm currently lacking in inspiration to write the next chapter. Hopefully, with the free time I have in between finishing college this week and getting a job (no idea when that will be), I'll be able to remedy that. Until that time comes, I'm afraid there will be no update in the immediate future. Sorry!


End file.
